Samsung recalls Galaxy Note 7 over battery flaw

When asked about it, Samsung’s smartphone business head Koh Dong Jin just said that it’s a “heartbreaking amount.”- talking about the number of units recalled.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 problems are just heating up.

The South Korean electronics giant on Friday said that because of a problem with the Galaxy Note 7 battery it would halt sales of the new device around the world. It’s also recalling and replacing those phones already sold.

The company’s flagship device has been on sale for just two weeks. Samsung said Friday that it has sold 2.5 million of the phones worldwide to date.

The recall comes at a critical time for Samsung, as Apple prepares to unveil its latest iPhone on Sept. 7. If the battery problem persists, it could threaten the momentum Samsung has enjoyed over the last few months, fueled by the success of the Galaxy S7. With the well-received launch of the Note 7 last month and the Gear S3 smartwatch at the IFA trade show this week, Samsung was starting to get its swagger back.

“There’s definitely damage done and the whole incident is detrimental to Samsung’s image,” said IDC analyst Tay Xiaohan. “The level of damage will depend on how Samsung addresses this issue quickly and solves the problem.”